City Food – Mohammed Moinuddin’s Butter Coffee, Chitli Qabar Chowk
It was all acacia. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Some cities never sleep. Like New York. Like Old Delhi. Any person living in, say, the Walled City’s Chitli Qabar Chowk will tell you that the sounds of their…
City Hangout – Three Wild Malls, Nelson Mandela Marg
It was all acacia. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The outdoor sound system is playing soft, moody music. It could be Kenny G. Who could have thought that this desolate wilderness in south Delhi would one day be…
City Faith – Pracheen Shiv Mandir, Daryaganj
A barely known temple. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The scenes outside are passing in a blur. All you can see are lights flashing on the glass window. It’s like sitting in a super-fast Shatabdi. But this isn’t…
City Home – Homeless Shelter, Central Delhi
A home for the houseless. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] The floor is of plywood. The roof appears to be of white tarpaulin. The walls, too, are of the same white material. There are no windows. This is a home to…
Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Mirza Ghalib, Ghalib Academy
The parlour confession. [By Mayank Austen Soofi] Mirza Ghalib is eternal. The Agra-born poet lived in Old Delhi’s Ballimaran; his sasural was in modern-day Haryana (Loharu). While lying long buried in our city, Ghalib still gamely agreed to become a…
City Hangout – Pavement Art, Mandi House
Mystery patterns. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Circles and squares rippling with wavelets. A sphere with a labyrinth. The word ‘Aah’ drawn in calligraphic style. And many other shapes. All of these are made with white chalk on…
City Library – American Center Library, Kasturba Gandhi Marg
Sounds from silences. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] If you listen, the steady hum of a machine can be heard. Maybe it’s the air conditioner. Or rather a radiator, for this is the cold season. The sound is…
City Food – Masala Dosa, Sadar Bazar
New in town. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Small and unpretentious. If it were to be in Paris, it would have been thought of as a neighbourhood bistro. But here in Gurgaon, it is simply Meenakshi Dosa Café….
City Landmark – Faces of Israeli Backpackers, Faruk Leather Shop
The souvenirs of the travellers. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The shop is empty. The same shop is also full. It is full of Israelis. Theirs faces are everywhere. Hundreds of passport-sized photos are spread across a large…
City Library – Diplomat Maharajakrishna Rasgotra’s Books, Sapru House
Diplomat’s poetic side. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.” This maxim by French epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin works equally well if “eat” is replaced with “read”. That…
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